My 2007 ABS Pro Bowlers, Prospects & Suspects

ptgdvc said:
Names and stamps are not guarantees of greatness. ;)
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Kevin Jones said:
I agree with your list, however believe your Pro Bowler "names" (most anyway) are just that; a guarantee of greatness.

Have you gotten a knife of inferior quality from any of the top guys?
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ptgdvc said:
In a word, NO. But your words "inferior quality" imply to me a serious flaw in execution or an obvious defect. EVERYONE, that I mentioned, simply would never allow that type of work out of their shop. There is a better chance of me walking on the moon.

Have I ever gotten a knife that could have had a little better finish on the blade? Or could have had a nicer handle material? Or had a very minor imperfection in the fit and finish? Yes, but it is very rare. However we are dealing with the handiwork of human beings after all. As long as the knife very closely approaches perfection, I am willing to cut the maker a tiny bit of slack. ;) However, Danbo would...
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By "inferior quality" I don't mean a serious flaw but less in performance, execution, fit and finish than you would expect form anyone in the top tier (top 5-10%) mastersmiths in the world, but given the "perfect knife" has never been made.

That's why I would really like to see a sort of surpreme MS designation rewarded to the top tier for then one could know who to expect this guarantee of greatness from.

Based on the feed-back it looks like you nailed "the list".
 
As you know PTGDVC, our lists are close but not identical.
I am always on the lookout for great knives by some of the other "unsung" makers like Potier, JD Smith, Bradshaw.

There are times when some makers who are hitting their stride (or not) flow in and out of my list depending on their output and its style and or quality.

I always look for pieces by some of the Non-ABS makers too like Zowada and JM Smith and the uber-talented Vince Evans. I even buy the occassional Bagwell :))

It is truly hard to follow more than 20 or so makers and their work.

Thats one of the main challenges in knife collecting, IMO.
 
I like the list and agree with Anthony on Vince.
This is will be waiting for me at Blade and I can not wait to see what else he brings.

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Kevin Jones said:
By "inferior quality" I don't mean a serious flaw but less in performance, execution, fit and finish than you would expect from "the list".
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YES, but each piece must be judged on its individual merits (I think that is STeven's refrain). The performance aspect is an area that is difficult/impossible judge with presentation grade collectable knives. A sharp edge is important to me, even if the knife is a "Safe Queen". Use of merely "good" handle materials can be another area of slight dissapointment. Every maker has superior examples and routine examples of their work, the difference may be very slight and subtle, but it is there nonetheless. This might be better discussed in a fresh thread.

P
 
Gus, you KNOW that one is spinning heads. Sooooo nice. Did Vince forge the steel? :thumbup:

Roger -- Greg and Kirby visited David Mirabile for a few days and did some pounding. VERY dramatic steel. David's pieces might be the thinnest & sharpest forged blades I've ever encountered! :eek:

Coop
 
When coop and Roger chime in ... you know a good decision was made.
Thanks guys.

Coop try to get over to Vince's table early just to look. All his work is soul authorship unless he collaborates with another maker. Grace Evans, his wonderful wife, does some carving for him on some handles.

His work always impresses me. He had a couple of swords that he delivered last year that were off the charts.
 
Simply outstanding Gus. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Like to take a closer look at Blade.
 
Updated to reflect new ABS stamps.

ALSO Nick Wheeler, JS has been upgraded from Favorite Suspect to Favorite Prospect! LOL! :thumbup:

John Christensen, MS & Tommy Gann, JS have been added to Favorite Suspects!

P
 
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